Most conventional toilets consist of three major elements: a toilet tank, which functions as a water reservoir; a toilet bowl that receives and retains a volume of water into which is introduced human water; and a flushing apparatus.
After waste products have been introduced into the toilet bowl they are flushed down the toilet tank by utilizing the flushing apparatus. Once the flushing apparatus is engaged, the water that is in the toilet tank flows into the bowl, while the contaminated water is forced into an external sewage line. The waste is then routed into a sewage system or a septic tank. The water that flows into the bowl from the tank is then ready to accept and dispose of subsequent human waste.
One of the most common flushing apparatuses in use today utilizes a ballcock supply valve that controls the inlet of water into the toilet tank. A buoyant float ball is connected to the ballcock by means of a trip lever and as the toilet tank is filled with water, the buoyant ball rises. The upward motion of the buoyant ball is transmitted to the ballcock supply valve through the trip lever until, at a predetermined water level, the ballcock shuts off the water inlet to the toilet tank. In most toilets, the water level in the tank may be adjusted by means of a screw-set mechanism located in the ballcock supply valve. Once the water level in the tank is set, further adjustment is not required and a consistent volume of water will be discharged each time the toilet is flushed.
It is a well known fact that the largest single use of water in most households, and in many office buildings, is for flushing toilets. This is a result of the flushing being carried out using the full capacity of the water in the tank, which in many cases is not required and therefore wasteful. Substantial interest has been placed in finding a method of reducing the water usage when toilets are flushed, especially when there is a water deficiency, such as during periods of drought.
There are currently several methods in use to conserve water when a toilet is flushed. One such method is to place a bag filled with water or a solid object, such as a brick or stone, into the tank. This causes an equivalent amount of water to be displaced, thus reducing the volume of water that is used for each flush. Another method is to lower the float valve to allow the ballcock to close at a reduced water level. These and other methods used to conserve water are in many cases self-defeating. This is because the effectiveness of a partial flush, which is essentially what is created with these methods, is diminished--it is often necessary to flush twice in order to adequately remove the waste products in the bowl. Additionally, such methods represent a compromise in that once the volume of water is set, it is not readily adjustable.
In summary, the inventive piston flush valve is less complicated than current flush valve apparatuses which produces a higher reliability with less maintenance. Additionally, the piston flush valve can be easily adjusted to provide an optimum volume of water as determined by the location of the toilet and available water pressure.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the combination of elements utilized with the instant invention and on the appended claims. However, the instant invention, is considered an improvement on the applicant's prior patent application Ser. No. 08/782,825 which was filed on Jan. 13, 1997.